Metal



No Drawing.

Patented May 28, 1929..

UNITED/(STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. BEAD,' OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 0F ONE-HALF T0 CALAVERAS IRON AND STEEL COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEVADA, AND ONE-HALF T0 SYDNEY H. DEMAREST, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA,

My invention relates to a metal made by the combination of several other metals and which is adapted for a variety of uses part cularly in journals and bearings.

.An object of my invention is to produce a metal which will have superior character1s ties for use in bearings over metals at present available Another object of my invention to utilize materials which are economically available to produce a new metal having superior characteristics.

The invention possesses other advanta geous features, some of which with'the fore.- going, will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full the preferred form of my invention.

The metal of my invention preferably com prises an alloy including aluminum treated with cerium and combined with copper. Although the metal produced by my in- -vention is applicable to a wide variety of uses such as for electrical conductors. for com -mutators and in similar circumstances, it is particularly adapted to be used as bearing metal for shafting which is subjected to severe service and heavy loads. The metal radiates heat rapidly from a journal so that relatively close clearances can be used and is capable of running for protracted periods with a mimmumamount of lubrication or-no lubrication at all. Although the use to which the metal is to be put dictates some what the procedure utilized in preparing it, I shall describe the general method to be fol lowed in preparing my metal and particularly a manner which will produce an excellent metal for bearings. 1

The metal of my invention comprises in its make up a portion'of cerium, and as a'convenient and economical source of cerium I preferably utilize I chalcopyrite, which as found in certain localities, has associated with it a suflicient amount of cerite to furnish the necessary cerium and to justify its use in my process of producing the metal. Chalcopyrite contains aconsiderable proportion of iron which I do not desire to have present in appreciable quantitiesin my completed prod- METAL: Application filed September 28, 1927. Serial No. 222,687.

not so that I first treat the chalcopyrite with sulphuric acid, usually in aqueous solution and withthe chalcopyrite in finely divided form so that practically all of the iron is re-' moved. Other acids also can be'used and ,55 I have found that sulphuric acid is advansjfi-f other methods of extracting the iron but I tageous. a

In order to render the cerium effective upon the aluminum, I either immerse the metallic v j chalcopyrite, as mentioned above, or I evapaluminum in the aqueous solution of treated orate the aqueous solution to a dry powder and mix it with the aluminum in a crucible. I the final P the aluminum, which preferably is of the grade and purity'known as virgin aluminum, ranges from 5 to 10 per cent and the cerium can vary between of one per cent and 10 per cent dependent upon the desired characteristics of the metal. I preferably utilize the treated ohalcopyrite and the treated aluminum in proportions to produce this result and add sufficient copper to the aluminum in the crucible to make up the necessary-100 per cent. The amount of copper is variedto compensate for impurit es in the metal and for the varying percentage'of aluminum'and cerium.

, When the treated aluminum or the aluminum and powder resulting from the treated chalcopyrite are placed in a crucible with copper, they are heated until the, aluminum .and copper are fused and form an alloy.

The cerium also enters into the combination so that when the fused metal has cooled there .is produced an alloy of metal which is ready to be reheated'for casting and whichhas vastly super or characteristics over other metals for bearings and for-other uses as mentioned above.

Iclaim: A metal comprising an alloy including from one-tenth of one per cent to ten per cent my hand.

FREDERICK J. READ. 

